Territory



(No Model.)

o., W. MILLER.

j MAIL POUCH.

- Patented 4July 9 bww/woz:

EHS. WMILLE'H N. ecrans, mmnognpm. wnsmngm. n.04

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

l CHARLES W. MILLER, OF CLIFTON, ARIZONA TERRITORY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES ROYCE, OF SAME PLACE.

MAIL-POUCH.

i SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent N0. 406,528, dated July 9, 1889.

Application filed November 27, 1888. Serial No. 291,972. (No model.)

` To a/Z whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clifton, in the county of Graham and Territory of Arizona, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Pouches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has relation to mail-pouches employed for the transmission of unimportant mail-matter, such as ofthe second and third class, wherein a cord is interlaced through eyelets inserted in holes near the mouth of the pouch; and among the objects in view is to provide an automatic device located upon the inside of the pouch and adapted to instantly take up all slack cord when the pouch is gathered or closed, and which will easily pay out the same when the pouch is opened.

A further object of the invention is to p'rovide a simple and effective fastening device 'for retaining the cord against paying out when the pouch is closed, which device may` be operated with great facility.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of a take-up and fastener constructed in accordance with my invention, the mail-pouch being broken away. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the section being taken at one side of the center. Fig. 3 is a front view. Fig. 4c is a side elevation, and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on the line ma; of Fig. 1.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 represents a mail-pouch, which, it will be understood, is provided with a sere's of eyelet-holes 1)?, arranged at suitable distances apart and near the mouth of the pouch.

2 represents a cord takeup constructed after my invention, and it comprises a securing or face plate 3, which is riveted or otherwise secured to the inner surface of the pouch, and a casing or housing 4, in this instance formed of several strips of metal 5, Fig. 5,

bent outwardlyto form the housing, and provided with side plates 6,y the housing being divided, in this instance, into three compartments by means of partitions 7, which partitions and side plates and sectional strips 5 are bound together by bolts or rivets 8. If

desired, the housing and its partitions may be cast integral; but for the purpose of permitting easy access to the casing I prefer to form the same as described.A Passing through thecasing 2, and journaled in the side plates 6 thereof, is a loose rotatable shaft 9, around which is coiled a spring 10, one end of the spring being connected with the shaft and the opposite end to the casing.

Interlaced through the series of eyelet-holes of the pouch is the usual cord 11, which is passed around the bag or pouch in and out, and its two ends emerge through openings 12, formed in the bag and in the plate 3 above the housing and through corresponding holes formed in the pouch, and pass downwardly in parallelism to-points opposite the compartments or chambers formed by the partitions 7 at each side of the spring-receiving chainber and into said compartments, where they are secured to the shaft or drum 9.

If desired, separate springs may be einployed for each terminal of the cord 11, in which ease the shafts would be independent of each other and independently rotated.

(See dotted'line Y, Fig. 5.)

For the purpose of non-interference with the rolling or packinggof the pouches when returned empty, and in other pouches, the plate 3 may terminate, as shown in Fig. 2, at about the point at which it is connected with the housing, and the plate having the apertures 12 may be independent and located above the plate 3, as shown at 13. In either instance there is formed upon the plate 3 or the plate 13 an outwardly-protruding hornshaped lug la, which projects through the pouch and is located between the two eyeletholes 12 and slightly below the same. If desired, and in order to save the formation of eyelet-holes, the plate 13 may be located upon the outside of the pouch and riveted or otherwise secured to a securing plate placed upon the inside of the pouch, in which in- IOO stance merely punctures or openings need be cut in the pouch registering with similar openings formed in the plates.

In lugs 15, formed in the plate 3 or 13, as the case may be, there is pivoted a swinging bail 1G, preferably formed of wire and of a size adapted to be sprung over lthe horn-shaped lug let. A thumb-piece or projection 1.7 is formed on the bail 1G, so that said bai-l may be operated with ease and dispatch.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The bail being raised out of contact with the lug and the mouth of the pouch being open after said pouch has been filled, in order to close and lock the mouth it is only necessary to grasp the cord intermediate the openings 12 and 12j# and draw upon the cord until the mouth is gathered or closed. Then this has been accomplished, the slack caused by the contraction or gathering of the mouth of the bag will be taken up by the take-up device 2 described, the spring 10 serving to rotate the shaft and wind the cord thereupon. The openings 12 and 1213! are so located with relation to the lug 14: that the cords run over the same in being taken up andA paid out, so thatin order to fasten said cords and prevent their paying out after the bag is closed it is only necessary to swing the bail upon the horn-shaped lug and springit down and under t-he same, by which operation the cords, being interposed between the bail .and lug, are bound firmly against movement unt-il released again by the upward swinging of the bail. Y

The facility and dispatch with which fasteners constructed after my invention may be operated will be readily apparent and appre-i ciable from the above description. 18 represents a plate adapted for the reception of the direction-card, the plate being of the usual construction, and may be secured at any suitable point upon the pouch, it in this instance being secured to the plate By locating the take-up upon the inside of the pouch, no protrusions are formed for the injury of mail contained in other pouches, and the pouches thus provided are the more easily packed, the ordinary manner being to roll a number together and insert them in a pouch. l Having described my in vention,what I clai ni is- .Y I 1. The combination, with a mail pouch or bag and with its closing-cord, of a spring takeup secured within the bag and having the closing cord connected therewith, substantially as specified. Y 2. The combination, with a mail pouch or bag and its closing-cord, of a face-plate secured to the pouch and having cord passages or openings and provided with take-up mechanisln attached to said face-plate, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with a mail pouch or bag and with its closing-cord, the bag being' provided with an opening for the entrance of the slack portion of the cord intothe bag, of a take-uptand of an independent cord-fastening device, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with a mail pouch or bag, of a face-plate and a housing attached thereto and divided into parallel compartf ment-s for the. reception and operation of springs and cords, respectively, substantially as specified.

5. rlhe combination, with a mail bag or pouch, of a face-plate secured to the bag, a housing secured within the bag over a cordreceiving-opening in the face-plate and having a partition separating the part of the housing over said opening from the remaining portion of the housing, and a spring arrangedin said remaining portion of the housing, and a shaft connected with a spring and passing through the housing and partition7 substantially as specified.

6. The combination, with a mail pouch or bag, of a take-up mechanism arranged withinthe bag, closing-cords connected with said take-up mechanism, and a cord-fastener consisting of a bail and a projecting horn, against which the bail is adapted to bind the cord, substantially as specified.

7. The combination, with a pouch or bag, of a plate fastened Within said bag,a horn projecting through the side of said bag, a bracketalso projecting through the side of said bag, a bail hung to said bracket and taking over said horn, and a closing-cord passing through an opening in said plate, substantially as described. Y Y Y 8. rlhe combination, with a mail pouch or bag, of a face-plate secured to the pouch and having a take-up, and provided with inlet and outlet cord passages or openings, and with an independent cord-fastening device located intermediate the openings, substantially as specified.

9. The combination, with amail pouch or bag, of a face-plate secured to the pouch and having a take-up fastened thereto, and provided with inlet and outlet cord passages IOO IIO

or openings, and with a protruding hornshaped lug, over which the cord passes, and a swinging bail adapted to take over the lug and fasten the cords, substantially as specified.

10. The combination, With amail pouch or bag, of a face-plate secured to the pouch and having a take-up, and provided with inlet and outlet cord passages or openings, and with a protruding horn-shaped lug, overwhich the cord passes, and a swinging pivoted spring-bail adapted to be sprung over the lug and bind the cords thereupon, substantially as specified.

11. The combination, with a mail pouch or bag, of a face-plate secured thereto and having inlet and outlet cord-passages, and provided with a cord-receiving shaft, and a coiled spring for rotating the shaft and transverse shaft having` a coiled spring, subro stantiaiiy as speeied.

In testimony whereof I aiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES WV. MILLER.

Vitnesses:

A. P. CLARK, Jr., W. S. DUVALL. 

